Ecology of Populations

Population: a group of individuals of a species living a common habitat

• reliance on the same finite resources in the common habitat
• influenced by similar environmental conditions in the common habitat
• high likelihood of inter-breeding among individuals of the population
 Population of organisms: characteristics

1. Distribution: density and dispersion of organisms

• clumped (=aggregated)

• uniform (=regular)

• random
 Population of organisms: characteristics

2. Demography

►Decline
• mortalities
• emigration

►Growth
• birth
• immigration

Demography reflects the survival pattern of a population:

Type I (convex): K-selected organisms of an equilibrial population: “large

size, protected, and fewer offsprings”
Type III (concave): r-selected organisms of an opportunistic population: small
size, on their own, and more offsprings”
 Population of organisms: characteristics: life history

Life history: the pattern of reproduction and survival of organisms in a

population (e.g., age of sexual maturity, age of death, growth rates, number of
offsprings, mode and frequency of reproduction, etc.) which reflects a population’s
survival pattern and thus how a population grows.

Life history (Type I vs Type II vs Type III) varies from one population to another.
Why?

Natural selection favors a life history which will favor:

1) the survival of offsprings; and
2) the survival of adults who will eventually mate to produce the next
generation of offsprings.

But in reality, not all offpsrings and adults will survive. Why?
Because trade-offs do happen between offspring survival and
reproductive success of adults.
 Population of organisms: characteristics: life history
Trade-offs are common between survival of offsprings and reproductive
success of adults because of:
(1) limitations of available resources and,
(2) un-predictability of environmental conditions.

Therefore, natural selection shapes the life history of a population to

ensure the survival of only fit individuals who will become adults and
eventually mate
 Population of organisms: life history: frequency of mating
Q. How many times do organisms
mate during their lifetime?

A. Variations in mating frequency

among populations result from
trade-offs between: (1) ensuring
the survival of the offsprings; and
(2) ensuring that these offsprings,
when they become adults, will be
able to mate

semelparity
iteroparity

Therefore, the life history of a population is shaped by natural selection to ensure the
survival of offsprings who will eventually become adults and mate.
Population of organisms: exponential growth

dN/dt = r.N
Population of organisms: logistic growth

dN/dt = r.N [(K— N)/K]

Due to finite resources,

“environmental resistance” limits
further expansion as a
population approaches K.

But, K may be modified to influence

birth rate and death rate..
 Human population growth: history

Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834): the tendency for exponential growth of the
human population will always exceed what existing food supply can
support, resulting in the decimation of the young and old people, and the
degradation of the quality of human life.
 Human population growth: history: birth and death rates

As in non-human populations, birth rate and death rate also influence

human population growth.

The continuing improvement of living conditions (i.e., improved nutrition,

sanitation, health care, etc.) has altered the carrying capacity (K) of the
human population over the millennia.
Human population growth
Human population growth: age structure of males and females

Differences in population growth rates among countries results from

the differences in the age structure of the population, which
determines birth rate and death rate.

zero rapid slow

Stable Un-stable Fairly stable

 Human population growth: demographic transition

Q. Is it possible for a country’s population to shift from an un-

stable to a stable population?

Unstable population → → → →→ Stable population

(rural agrarian society) (urban industrialized society)

Demographic transition: a transition or shift from an unstable

population with high birth (fertility) and death rates to a
stable population with low birth and death rates.
 Demographic dividend (“bonus”)

Demographic dividend: the economic benefit arising from an increase in the

proportion of working age-adults relative to young dependents.

When birth rates decline, the age structure shifts to more working-age
adults, thus accelerating economic growth by increasing labor
productivity and household income levels, and reducing the expense
for basic social services to care for a young population.
Human population growth: demographic transition: Thailand vs Philippines
Human population growth: demographic transition: aggressive vs. weak
reproductive health policies

Thailand, Malaysia
Philippines
 Human population growth: megacity of metro Manila

Metro Manila (16 satellite cities over a 620 km2 land area)
• City of Manila alone is populated by 13.5 million pax and swells to 15 million
more pax during daytime hours of working days!!
• world’s most densely populated city (ca. 45,000 pax per km2!!)
 Human population growth

We utilize biodiversity as a source for a variety of “goods and services” to support

and sustain human life.

That is, biodiversity as a product of evolution sustains life on planet Earth.

 Human population growth: ecological footprint
Have you ever thought of your/our consumption of “goods and
services” and its impacts on the Earth’s living and non-living
resources?

Ecological footprint: measures how much of the Earth’s area is required to

support the human population to produce the “goods and services” we
consume and to absorb our waste products under prevailing technology;
expressed as “global hectares.”

The bigger the footprint, the higher the impact on biodiverse resources!!
Human population growth: ecological footprint

What is your very own ecological footprint?

Human population growth: ecological footprint: rich vs. poor countries

Q. How much of the Earth’s area is needed for the human species to exist?
 Human population growth: ecological footprint
Q. Are we living within the limits provided by the planet Earth’s biodiverse
resources?

It now takes more than one year and two months for the Earth to regenerate
what we use in a single year! OR, the biodiverse resources provided by 2-4
planet Earths are required to support our present lifestyle!!
Human population growth: is there a carrying capacity for Homo sapiens?

Common sense tells us that the present human population growth must
not and should not continue for long.